On the morning of June 15th, a helicopter crash occurred in North Uttarakhand, India, resulting in the tragic deaths of all 7 people on board, including 1 pilot. This incident marks another aviation tragedy in India, following the crash of an Air India flight on June 12th.
According to reports from NDTV, the helicopter belonged to Aryan Aviation, a tour helicopter company. The helicopter was transporting 6 pilgrims (including a young girl) from the famous Kedarnath Dham temple to Guptkashi early in the morning.
Tragically, the helicopter pilot lost control due to worsening weather conditions during the flight, leading to the crash in the forest between Gaurikund and Sonprayag. All 6 passengers and the pilot lost their lives in the crash.
Among the passengers were a couple and their 23-month-old daughter. Their son, who stayed with his grandfather, was spared from the tragic incident. There was also a 66-year-old elder, who was the oldest passenger, and the 39-year-old pilot from Jaipur.
Local tourism department official Rahul Chaubey stated, “The weather deteriorated on the return journey. The pilot attempted to navigate the helicopter out of the valley but unfortunately crashed near Gaurikund. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with other relevant departments are coordinating the rescue operation.”
Local residents spotted the crashed helicopter while collecting livestock feed and promptly informed authorities. NDRF and SDRF teams reached Gaurikund at 7 am and proceeded to the accident site. The rescue operation began at 8:55 am, and all bodies of the victims were recovered.
Due to difficulties in identifying the bodies, authorities are conducting DNA testing before handing them over to the families.
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, confirmed the helicopter crash and announced a temporary suspension of passenger services for the next two days. He emphasized the importance of passenger safety, stating, “Until we can ensure the safety of passengers, these services will remain suspended. Every passenger’s life is extremely valuable to us.”
Kedarnath Dham temple, located in the Himalayas, is only open to visitors from May to October. Due to its remote location, which requires an 8-9 hour trek, many people opt to travel via helicopter.
This incident is the 5th helicopter accident this year since the temple opened on May 2nd. Dhami has issued directives for stringent Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for helicopter operations in Uttarakhand in response to the tragic crash.